The Role of the Senior Management Team

 Office of Northern Ireland Ombudsman

 

 

The Senior Management Team is a formal support group to the Ombudsman, and the primary management group for the organisation. It consists of the Ombudsman (Chairman), Deputy Ombudsman (post currently vacant) and three Directors. Its function is to advise and support the Ombudsman on a variety of management issues, excepting those issues identified as being specifically within the role of the Ombudsman or an individual Director. It is the responsibility of SMT to support the Ombudsman in:

 

  • setting policy and objectives through assessment of needs, risks and opportunities

  • determining strategy and delivery mechanisms

  • controlling implementation of strategy

  • evaluating performance against objectives

  • ensuring best use of resources

  • promoting the Office to stakeholders


Major responsibilities:

 

1.      Support the Ombudsman in the development and delivery of Corporate and Business Plans for the Office within a performance management framework.

2.      Advise Ombudsman on prioritization of activities within the Office to provide best use of resources.

 

3.      Manage and monitor the effectiveness of policies and procedures in the Office.

4.      Ensure the maximum effectiveness of staff and projects for which line management responsibility has been allocated.

5.      Encourage and promote innovation throughout the Office to efficiently meet evolving organisational priorities and needs.

6.      Review and manage the risks relevant to the Office.

7.      Consider and recommend ways to improve the co-ordination and management of investigations.

8.      Provide strategic oversight for monitoring and reviewing the Office’s finances and risk register to ensure effectiveness of financial and management controls.

9.      Work with colleagues, and others, to identify the need for and to develop organisational policies on issues or areas which cross over the role specific responsibilities of individual Team Members.

10.  Foster effective team working across the range of Office activities to maximise the external impact of the Northern Ireland Ombudsman.

11.  Manage and review the effectiveness of the Office’s Outreach and Communications Strategy.

12.  Monitor Human Resource Strategy for the Office, ensuring that effective and fair people management standards and processes are applied through the Office.

13.  Champion ways of working and behaviour consistent with the Ombudsman’s values of Integrity, Impartiality, and Excellence.

 

 

Organisational Description is attached.

 

 

 

4th April 2007

 

 

 

 

 

Organisational Description

 

 

 

Senior Management Team

 

   


  1. Chairman                                          Ombudsman



  1. Membership     

    Deputy Ombudsman (post currently vacant)

    Director of Investigations - Planning and Corporate
    Director of Investigations - Housing
    Director of Investigations - Health



  1. Appointed by                                   Ombudsman

 

  1. Membership Term                           Permanent during term of Office

 

  1. Frequency of Meetings                   Bi-monthly

 

  1. Responsible for                              Office of Northern Ireland
                                                             Ombudsman